Local Leads: 10/31/2009

News you need to know

By MICHELLE TETU

Updated 9:15 AM EST, Sat, Oct 31, 2009

Print Email Share TWITTER FACEBOOK

The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:

HOLIDAY SHOPPING SALES STARTING NOW
Today is a day for jack-o'-lanterns and candy corn, but some retailers would rather you think about Christmas trees and candy canes instead. Sears will launch the holiday shopping season today by offering deep discounts normally reserved for the day after Thanksgiving. The department store chain is calling its promotion " Black Friday Now." Other retailers have also announced they are starting holiday deals. Walmart has 100 toys for $10 and is selling soon-to-be released books for $8.99. Kohl's will have holiday bargains and leave stores open until midnight Nov. 6 and 7. Borders has greeting cards at a 50 percent discount. Stores that aren't advertising sales are already selling Christmas decorations and other holiday items.
(BALTIMORE SUN)

HANGING HALLOWEEN DUMMIES TAKEN DOWN
After drawing complaints from the local NAACP and others, Frederick Mayor Jeff Holtzinger ordered city workers Friday afternoon to take down three hanging effigies put up as part of a city Halloween program in Baker Park. Holtzinger made statements earlier in the day that he would keep the dummies up until a Frederick Parks and Recreation Department's Halloween event had concluded Friday evening. But he relented when he heard more complaints that the display was racially insensitive. "That's the last thing we are," he said. "We are a friendly and welcoming city. Attempts to portray us as anything but that really wasn't worth the risk." Instead, the scariness of the dummies will be enhanced, and they will be placed on a park bench and near trees somewhere else in the park, he said. Guy Djoken, president of the local branch of the NAACP, had called for Holtzinger to take down the dummies since Thursday, as they hung from a willow tree next to Carroll Creek near College Avenue.
(FREDERICKNEWSPOST.COM)

WHITE HOUSE RELEASES VISITORS LOG
During his first six months in office, according to information released Friday, President Obama met frequently at the White House with labor leaders, senators, lobbyists, business executives and liberal activists as he sought to revive the faltering economy, plan health-care reform, confirm a Supreme Court nominee and pass a huge stimulus package. In mid-February, as Obama stumped for, and then signed, a stimulus bill, he met several times with labor boss Andy Stern. In about the same period, Obama met twice with Jamie Dimon, the head of JPMorgan Chase. On May 26, National Organization for Women President Kim Gandy was in the audience when Obama introduced court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Some, such as Stern, Gandy and former senator Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.), were at the White House about a dozen times or more. Others, such as liberal financier and Democratic donor George Soros, visited once or twice in six months. And more than a few Hollywood luminaries entered the White House grounds. The White House provided this peek at the comings-and-goings of the Obama administration's guests, posting on its Web site
(WASHINGTON POST)

DC AREA RANKS 20TH IN SAFE CITY LIST
The D.C. area is the No. 20 safest place among the largest 40 cities in the U.S., according to a ranking by Forbes. The rankings take into account each city’s 2008 levels of violent crime, workplace fatalities rates, traffic death rates and natural disaster risk. The D.C. area ranked worst in workplace fatality rates at 24. It ranked 16th in violent crime, 13th in traffic death rates and 20th in natural disaster risk. Minneapolis-St. Paul ranked No. 1 and has the nation’s lowest workplace fatality rate. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis was No. 2, with the nation’s lowest natural disaster risk. Portland, Ore., with the lowest violent crime rate, was No. 3.
(WASHINGTON BUSINESS JOURNAL)

MAKE A BUCK SELLING YOUR HALLOWEEN CANDY
Trick-or-treaters with too many treats can spread the sweet wealth overseas -- and get a little cash for themselves. Several Richmond-area dentists are hosting Halloween candy buyback events, with most of them paying $1 a pound for extra Halloween candy. Candy collected at the dentists' offices will go to Operation Gratitude, a nonprofit organization that operates out of the California Army National Guard office in Van Nuys, Calif. "Last year we received 20 tons. We're expecting a lot more this year. At least twice as many dentists have called about it," said Charlie Othold, a volunteer at Operation Gratitude's main office. The candy will be added to care packages for individual soldiers stationed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and on ships off the coast, Othold said. Unit commanders submit the names when troops are deployed. Each year, about 100,000 packages go out with items such as movies, video games, toothpaste, deodorant, T-shirts, hats, Girl Scout cookies and candy. Between now and Christmas, the 500,000th package will go out, he said. Two local dentists, Boyle Dentistry on Mechanicsville Turnpike and Dr. Vicki Tibbs in Quinton, will have festivals tomorrow afternoon to collect candy. Others have set up times next week.
(RICHMOND TIMES DISPATCH)